Major League Soccer, HEINEKEN USA and TEAM Coalition Encourage Fans to Be Responsible at the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game

San Jose, CA, July 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Major League Soccer (MLS), HEINEKEN USA and TEAM Coalition encouraged supporters to be responsible while attending the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game and Soccer Celebration on Thursday, July 28 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, CA.

Responsibility Has Its Rewards is an MLS league-wide sweepstakes that rewards one randomly-selected supporter, who pledged to be a designated driver during the previous regular season, with a trip to the All-Star Game. This year’s winner is Chastity Marsden, a responsible Toronto FC supporter who attended the 2016 AT&T MLS All-Star Game with her guest, Philip Marsden. She was recognized on the field, serving as a representative of the 32,822 MLS supporters who pledged to be designated drivers last season.

“Major League Soccer is happy to support and continue to work alongside TEAM Coalition in support of the key objectives of improving the game day experience for all our guests, together with the extremely successful Responsibility Has Its Rewards and the Designated Driver programs,” said Ray Whitworth, Vice President of Operations & Security with Major League Soccer and Chairman of TEAM Coalition. “The work that TEAM continues to be involved in can only make our events safer and more secure for all attending and supporting soccer. We are privileged to be a partner with TEAM.”

Before the match, 141 supporters pledged to be responsible at the 2016 MLS Soccer Celebration. Everyone who made the pledge to never drive drunk had the opportunity to autograph the responsibility wall and receive a free souvenir photo displaying the responsibility message along with All-Star images.

“HEINEKEN USA is proud to be a member of TEAM Coalition and promote responsibility throughout the MLS season,” said Tara Rush, Senior Vice President and Chief of Corporate Relations at HEINEKEN USA. “The Responsibility Has Its Rewards program is an engaging way to support designated drivers in making responsible decisions. By working with TEAM Coalition and MLS, we support a fun and safe environment for our fans to enjoy the great game of soccer.”

MLS clubs promote responsible drinking among soccer supporters by implementing designated driver programs at their stadiums throughout the season and training employees in effective alcohol management.

“The success of the Responsibility Has Its Rewards campaign with Major League Soccer, HEINEKEN USA is a direct result of the commitment from the League, the MLS clubs, sponsors, concessionaires and all the campaign partners,” said Jill Pepper, executive director of TEAM Coalition. “Teamwork is what this campaign is all about. We are demonstrating that when everyone – including the fans – takes responsibility, everyone wins.”

About MLS

Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer features 20 clubs throughout the United States and Canada. The 2016 season marks the second year of the most comprehensive U.S. media rights partnership in the history of the league, as eight-year agreements with ESPN, FOX Sports and Univision Deportes have commenced. For more information about MLS, visit www.MLSsoccer.com.

About TEAM Coalition

TEAM Coalition is an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaries, stadium service providers, the beer industry, distillers, broadcasters, traffic safety experts and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports and entertainment facilities. TEAM Coalition members and supporters include Major League Soccer, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, NASCAR, National Football League, National Hockey League, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Americrown, Aramark, Delaware North Sportservice, Legends, Spectra, Beer Institute, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Constellation Brands, HEINEKEN USA, MillerCoors, Brown-Forman, Live Nation, National Association of Broadcasters, Contemporary Services Corporation, International Association of Venue Managers, Stadium Managers Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.